Medicaid Vanishes

Don't be poor or sick.

The Gospel of Tough Luck: When Social Safety Nets Disappear

Let’s say you’re a hardworking American. You did everything they told you to do—showed up, paid your taxes (unlike certain most billionaires named Besos and Musk), and contributed to society. But then life happened. Maybe you got sick. Maybe your job evaporated like a politician’s promise. And now, thanks to the Christian Nationalists who believe “blessed are the poor” means “blessed are they to suffer,” your Medicaid has disappeared.

Because while the government no longer sees you as worthy of healthcare, the church is still standing, doors open. And since churches don’t pay taxes, you might as well take full advantage—drag your broken, uninsured body right onto the pews of the Lord. Perhaps the pastor will anoint you with some Crisco, mumble a few words in Aramaic-adjacent gibberish, and—voila!—your pneumonia will clear up. If not, well, thoughts and prayers.

Of course, if you prefer someone with actual medical training, there’s another option. Doctors—those noble professionals who took the Hippocratic Oath (which, fun fact, does not include a line about avoiding poor people)—have found a new way to stay in business while sidestepping that pesky moral obligation. Enter concierge medicine.

For those unfamiliar, concierge medicine is what happens when doctors realize they can do less work and get paid more—every capitalist’s dream. No more endless insurance paperwork. No more Medicaid reimbursements that come with the enthusiasm of a DMV clerk on their last hour of a double shift. Instead, they can treat the wealthy, who are more than happy to pay out of pocket to avoid sitting in the waiting room next to—you guessed it—you.

In fact, I’ve prepared a guide for these enterprising physicians: "Work Less, Get Paid More: The Concierge Doctor’s Survival Guide." It covers everything from how to accept payments as tax-free “tips” to the best ways to politely inform an elderly patient with a heart condition that, unless they can Venmo $500 immediately, they’re better off heading to the local megachurch for a laying on of hands.

The beauty of this system is that it takes us back to a simpler time—say, the 1300s—when only the wealthy received proper medical care and the poor relied on home remedies, luck, and the occasional good Samaritan who hadn’t yet been priced out of their own compassion.

Some may say, “But America is the richest country in the world! Surely we can afford to take care of our own?” And to that, the answer is simple: Sure, we could. But that would require certain people to pay taxes, and we can’t have that.

So the next time you find yourself doubled over in pain, unable to afford a doctor, just remember: faith healing is free, concierge doctors are not, and the government has decided that your suffering builds character. Happy praying!

Sarcasm aside, this isn’t a joke—it’s reality, thanks to the Republican Party. As hospitals go bankrupt and the cost of these rural healthcare failures gets spread across the tax base, the government continues its favorite trick: socializing losses onto workers and the poor while ensuring that the financial burden ultimately lands on you. Whether you’re working, retired, or not yet born, future generations will be paying for the Medicaid cuts of today for the next 50 years—unless a new state plan steps in to stop the bleeding.

I go to Planet Fitness, which seems like a better option than Big Pharma. Tomorrow, I have a telemedicine visit with my primary care physician. I’m lucky to have Medicare, though it’s still expensive. It's not as costly as for-profit healthcare, but it's still far from the dream of universal healthcare.

The American approach to healthcare has always been nonsense. It was never an “industry” and never will be, despite what Wall Street calls it. You can’t shop around during a heart attack, so there’s no real competition for your failing heart. And if we’re being honest, the healthcare “industry” has a marketing firm that’s made trillions without spending a dime on advertising—they’re called Grim Reaper, Inc.

The real answer? Universal healthcare.

When you live in a country with universal healthcare, you make life decisions based on what you actually want to do, not on whether your job comes with a half-baked benefits package. You can be an artist, a writer, a musician, or even run a dog grooming service—without having to choose your career based on which one might come with a semi-decent health plan. Universal healthcare doesn’t just protect your body; it frees your life.

Well thanks for reading and please share and be happy.